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Just to follow up on the audio thing, it does look like I somehow muted the game, probably by accidentally pressing 0 on the numpad since it's pretty close to the right arrow on my laptop. Now I can listen to that nice music again 🎵

Very cool game and a good example of keeping things simple! I'm digging (no pun intended) the tasteful choices here with the pixel art and chiptune music. Combined with the clear, straightforward gameplay loop, all those elements came together to create a pretty complete, consistent experience. I think the obstacles like the bats and big rocks that can fall on you (as I learned the hard way) provided some good challenge. I also liked the idea of using stuff you mined to buy power-ups, and that they were randomized so you never quite knew what you might be able to get. That shop part also gives a nice breather between clearing areas. If you wanted to keep developing the game further, there are perhaps more obstacles, abilities, etc. that could be added to keep things interesting for longer play cycles and added replay value -- but I think you did plenty given the time constraints of the jam. Nice work!

I like the chill vibe of this game and the character design and animation are nice! It took me a little while to get the hang of it, but I can see what you were going for with the puzzles, and I actually think there's a lot of potential with the plant/fungi-growing mechanics! It took me an embarrassingly long time to get through the third stage (I kept trying to make it work by putting the mushroom on top of the tree, lol), but I eventually got it. The fifth stage was showing some promise, and I think I figured out what I needed to do, but unfortunately I ran into a game-breaking bug where for some reason the game would freeze and it wouldn't take any input from the keyboard or mouse. It might have to do with activating the "Look Around" mode, or launching plants while in that mode, but sometimes it did work without issue, so I don't know. I restarted the game a few times and kept running into the same problem. Also, perhaps even more strangely, after the first time I encountered this bug, the sound and music stopped working, and then they somehow stayed off even when I refreshed the page and reloaded the game.

Anyway, I don't know if it was just me, but I thought I'd mention it. Overall, very cute game, I like the idea of carrying a rose to your loved one (on your head, haha) being the main goal, and there's some solid, classic puzzle-platformer mechanics in there! 

Very nice game mechanics and polished level design for the timeframe! You managed to do a lot with the simplicity of the one-button controls. I thought the progression in difficulty and the introduction of new abilities was very thoughtful and well-balanced. I've been trying to learn more about game design lately, and based on some things I've seen about the "metroidvania" genre, I'm wondering if this qualifies as one? I think it does at least partially, since you have the exploration gated by new abilities aspect. I definitely was not prepared for the blood particle effects and metal music, but they were hilarious! 

This is quite polished and well-executed! You did a lot to give each song unique visuals and animations, and I dig the art style. The gameplay felt tight, and adding calibration for the offset was a nice touch. I would have liked to see a breakdown of my score between songs and maybe again at the end, but I totally get that in the time crunch of a jam you can't necessarily fit in everything you want, and there's a lot there already!

Also, you made these tracks yourself? Absolute bangers, every one, and I see what you did incorporating the theme into the song lyrics. 🎵

Just enough mini-games in there to have some nice variety and a lot of fun takes on the theme! Also the soundtrack fit just right.

Neat take on traversal and resource management mechanics. The mind-blowing thing I was realizing as I was playing is that real life plant roots probably engage in similar kinds of "decisions" when pushing through the soil (there's interesting research on that, look up the "root-brain hypothesis" for more info). So yeah, really great job capturing the theme, and it's educational, too!

Really interesting take on the theme! I admire game mechanics with this kind of elegant simplicity. I ended up not doing very well in my first go-round (83 clicks, haha). Finding the right strategy might be like exiting the Matrix, so I might need to spend some time meditating on it. "Be one with the root..."

Wow, that's some wild lore, and it's impressive you managed to make a full opening cut-scene! I like the art style and that rotating planet is quite iconic. Obviously it would've been a lot to get all those RPG mechanics in there for a game jam, but you've set up the structure for a lot of interesting systems, so this could be the beginning of something great!

Also, just for future reference, there's a weird bug where if you come out of full screen and then open it in full screen again, the game gets rendered in a tiny square. It confused me for a bit before I refreshed and reloaded, which fixed it.

Nice prototype! This idea of a platformer where you can stack your own platforms is a core mechanic that could be used in many interesting ways! I noticed that you can sort of "stick" to the plants and wall-jump off of them, which is also a neat feature that gives the gameplay more depth!

The intro part felt very cinematic! I like how you showed where the title came from, and the creepy music set the tone. It's a cool idea to play as a fungus and the controls felt good, but even after following along the tutorial I wasn't really able to figure out how to get more nutrients or what the goals were. I was going through it quickly, though, so it could be my fault for missing it. The mechanic has a lot of potential and I think the idea could be expanded more!

haha, yeah, they can get pretty grody if you're not careful 😅

Cute design work, and these bunnies seem like a fun bunch! They're just like us! Or maybe they represent what we wish we could be? Oh, to be a rabbit living in a carrot house... darn building codes and all that... 

Yooo, it's wild how you managed to fit so many functional-looking tools and attachments onto this mech! And on top of all that... it's just so... shiny ✨

This made me realize how rare it is to see a proper nighttime scene done in picoCAD, but the way you made it look so good with your color choices here could kick off a trend! Quite an ominous-looking clocktower design, too. It's as if it's watchfully judging humanity while counting down to doomsday...😱🕰️

Wow, yeah, I have to say this graphic, cel-shaded type look is quite impactful and unique among picoCAD renders I've seen. Would definitely be interested in seeing how far you could push this style in your future work! Nice proportions on the model, as well, and the wooden posts tie it all together. Keep it up!

This is a remarkable example of not just technical skill, but also visual communication. Take, for example, the rack of potted plants. There is so little to work with in terms of pixel resolution that it seems like it would be impossible to convey what it's supposed to be -- and yet it's readily apparent at a glance. The rest of the objects also have this kind of elegant simplicity, and you managed to use every shape primitive in a way that they all fit well together. Great job!

This is an intriguing update on your bungalow from the first picoCAD jam. Essentially the same subject, but a different take stylistically. I like how the house is really set in its environment. Also, the way you handled the front and rear porch areas is so clean, and the bushes are a nice touch!

Awesome, every part of it looks so solid and sturdy! This is kinda random, but it reminded me slightly of the launch platform in the final stage of Time Crisis 2 (you can see it in the first few seconds of this video -- even more random, but looking that up just now made me realize there are some weird parallels between the storyline of that game and the real world now -- a megalomaniac billionaire creating a network of satellites called StarLine as a front for a world domination scheme!?... anyway, I digress). Really nice model that would look quite cool in a game setting!

Great scene with a mix of bold macro features and nice little details like the shide hanging over the entryway and the flowers all around. The decision to render the ishidoro as 2-way billboard sprites alongside all the solid models is such an unexpected choice, but works well!

At first I was like, is that the flag of Peru? Then I saw that you managed to do this without textures, which is impressive. Cool idea, and looks neat with the outlines!

Interesting scene! Am I understanding right that the crane is swinging a wrecking ball of some sort? For me, the textures really capture that nostalgic retro game look in the best of ways!

Wow, pro work all around, but especially impressed by how you handled the audience in the stands!

I like the stylization with the off-kilter angles on the door, windows, etc. and the modeling work is on point! I feel like the leg joints might be a little too high up to walk comfortably, but I'm no expert on enchanted hut anatomy, so I guess I can't say for sure 😄

Great work staying true to the look and scale with things like the visible seams held together with icing, the door sticking out as a separate piece, and the sugar coating on the gumdrops. This also gives me the impression of viewing a gingerbread house inside a snow globe, which is an interesting combo to think about.

Aw, it is indeed cozy! The thick outlines on the animals makes them pop nicely, and the floral and wood patterns are quite aesthetic.

Cool scene! I like the idea of a little island people go to to buy fish. How does one get inside the hut, though? 🤔

Nice modelling given the limitation and the texture work ties everything together cohesively!

I had to double-take seeing how "empty" the texture image is -- I am amazed by how you managed to do so much with such simple shapes! Very nice little scene with several areas of interest.

Fun take on the theme, the Engineer would be proud! 🔧

Wow, lots of great details here, and the scene looks properly weathered and worn, which can be hard to pull off with so few pixels/polys to work with! You really paid attention to all the elements that would make this a functioning shop, including the electrical and HVAC, and the contrast between the storefront and "back alley" areas is well-observed!

I looked up the real-life monument, and I have to say this is a faithful low-poly/low-rez representation! I think you handled stylizing the proportions in a way that captures the main features well. Both your version and the original remind me a bit of chess pieces.

I like this minimalist aesthetic! Very effectively communicates the idea of "building" with as few polys as possible.

Whoa, this is great, I really feel like I'm transported into that little word! Whoever's living there must be happy to be getting a cargo shipment that day. So many nice details like the shark and the life preservers.  Also, diggin' that hardware setup!

Nice idea, and I feel like you've put some personality into these objects! I get the sense the building is nervous because of how the crane towers over it so imposingly, but the crane's just doing its job. 😄

Thank you for your detailed thoughts on both tracks! It's cool you think this would work well for a puzzle game and that my idea for an interactive/adaptive soundtrack made sense.

I just checked out some gameplay footage of Electroplankton and wow! How had I not heard of this before!? Very cool game and it's an honor to have my work compared to it. Also, I read a little of the game's Wikipedia page and this part stood out to me: "Nintendo president Satoru Iwata explained that the unusual reason why director Toshio Iwai's name appears directly on the game's packaging is because he alone had created it." -- hmm, quite interesting for a DS game! As someone who likes reading about game development and experimental music and art, I'll definitely be looking up more info on Iwai and his work!

Thanks again for your review!

Thank you! I'm still learning and experimenting when it comes to making music, but it's encouraging to know certain feelings are coming through to the listener!

Hey, glad you enjoyed it! And thank you for mentioning the Tempest 2000 soundtrack -- I was not familiar, but listened to some of it just now and there's some banger tracks in there! Definitely a cool piece of techno music history!

Also, what you said about the cover art made me think it might indeed be interesting to work backwards by starting with music and a cover and *then* making the game 💡

Pseudo-retro is a great way to describe what I was trying to do! Thank you so much!

It's interesting to learn which track people liked more! Thanks for listening!